If you happen to be a professional athlete, you will definitely benefit from the Garmin Forerunner GPS 201 watch. It has a wide range of functions for the sports nut. It comes with a GPS sensor, an electronic map, session change and reversal capabilities, calorie tracker, lap details and record, performance archives, auto stopwatch with auto-lap and auto pause functions, lap timer, pace alert, distance alert, free Training Center software, a stretchy wristwatch strap, and an A/C desktop charging unit with a serial port.

The GPS 201 is just right for a professional as well as an amateur athlete. It mostly works to help you manage the speed and tracking aspects. This system comes with quite a number of good features, but its worst design error happens to be that its performance is quite unpredictable. This is the only reason it is hard to consider it exactly right. Its dimensions of 3.3 ? 1.7 ? 0.7 make it look bulkier than a regular fitness watch; it is actually lighter than it looks, as it weighs only 2.8 ounces. The watch is safe for use in water and therefore can be worn by swimmers or by sports participants in rainy or damp weather conditions.

The Garmin Forerunner Fitness 201 watch can hold a lap record history of as many as 5000 laps and comes with a lot more settings that you can tinker with to match up with your own wishes and individual requirements. A very important feature the watch provides is the Training Center Software. This is the perfect feature for you to use to store your workout details and can also help you see how they have changed along your path, especially if you have worked out at different elevations. The Virtual Partner component makes it easy for you to set guidelines that you yearn to achieve. You simply have to compare your actual performance with that of your exercise buddy.

The GPS function of this 201 model is disliked by many buyers because the signal can be fickle sometimes. Added to that, consumers also point out the inconsistencies in features such as altitude and pace readings. This unit does not have a heart rate monitor. Currently, when the majority of the computer interfaces can work with a USB, this model is behind the times with a serial port facility.

The wristband of the Forerunner 201 GPS is stretchy, allowing you to sport the watch by wearing it on your wrist or your bicep as you wish. Its LCD display screen can be clearly view in brightly lit conditions as well as at night. The rechargeable lithium alloy battery can hold a charge for 14 hours before losing power. It seems to be quite alright for runners, but may not be quite adequate for bicycling, etc.

Overall, the Garmin Forerunner 201 GPS is a watch that offers you a wide range of advantages. The training Center software and the Virtual partner features deserve attention. However, its patchy GPS signaling is its only flaw.